Argyll and Bute Council’s SNP-led opposition are attempting to seize power from the administration over its "reckless" and "unnecessary" 10 per cent council tax hike and "embarrassing climb down". But they will need more councillors to join them for a majority.
“In this time of economic instability and a cost-of-living crisis, Argyll and Bute Council requires strong leadership and positive solutions, rather than the uncertainty and callous politicking we are witnessing at present," said the opposition group’s leader, Oban SNP councillor Jim Lynch on Friday, March 22.
Last month Argyll and Bute Council’s ruling TALIG group, made up of nine Conservative, five Lib Dem and four independent councillors, voted for a budget which raised council tax by 10 per cent to help overcome "severe and on-going budget gaps".
"This service-saving budget is only possible with an increase in council tax," said council leader Robin Currie (LD, Kintyre and the Islands).
Argyll and Bute and Labour-led Inverclyde were the only two of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to flout a 12-month council tax freeze announced by First Minister Humza Yousaf at the SNP’s conference last October. The Scottish Government said it would give councils £147m in compensation, as well as a share of £62.7m if they implemented the policy.
Conservative councillor for Helensburgh Central Gary Mulvaney, policy lead for Financial Services, said: “The Scottish Government funding settlement available to the council on the basis of a council tax freeze would have meant cuts to services."
But in a shock reversal, the Argyll, Lomond and Islands Group (TALIG) now wants to freeze council tax for the coming year, following "successful" talks with the Scottish Government.
"Confirmation of additional funding totalling around £6.26m means that the council’s overall financial circumstances are improved," the council said. "Some of this depends on freezing council tax."
The policy lead for economic growth, Independent councillor for Kintyre and the Islands Alastair Redman, said: "The Scottish Government has finally seen sense and caved to pressure from myself and others to give us the funding we need. Due to relentless lobbying from the Argyll and Bute Council administration members, an additional £6.26 million funding has been secured for our council.
"This means we will be able to look at a council tax freeze whilst avoiding all of the huge raids on health and social care spending and other grinding austerity measures proposed in the opposition budget. This is a great victory for the local democracy."
But opposition councillors called it an "unnecessary mess".
Lomond North Independent councillor Mark Irvine said: “I’m sure it will be seen as a great ‘victory’ by the administration, but the reality is that they played politics at the expense of people in Argyll and Bute.
“The simple reality is there was no more money put on the table by the Scottish Government and in the meantime many people have been worried sick about how they will make ends meet.
"Sadly it will now cost the council, and the taxpayer, tens of thousands of pounds in council officers’ time to unwind the decision and correct the billing system."
Now the entire opposition group is making "a bold attempt to gain political control of the council".
The 15 councillors of the Argyll and Bute Strategic Opposition Partnership have lodged individual letters in order to requisition a Special Meeting of the council on April 4, with an agenda of electing a provost and leader, and making political management arrangements.
The 15 (12 SNP, two independent, one Labour) are also invitating "all like-minded councillors" to sign in support. The ruling TALIG coalition has 18 councillors: nine Conservative, five Lib Dem and four independents. To gain a majority in the 36 seat chamber, the opposition needs all three unaligned councillors, Jennifer Kelly (Ind), Luna Martin (Green) and Tommy Macpherson (Ind Unionist), to join them, plus at least one administration councillor, who all voted for the 10 per cent council tax rise, to jump ship.
"This move comes in the wake of the current administration’s disingenuous, smoke and mirrors U-turn on their reckless and completely unnecessary 10 per cent council tax hike, and follows two years of indecisive, clandestine, and weak leadership," the group said.
"This tired administration has been forced into the very welcome, but embarrassing climb down thanks to the people of Argyll and Bute and funding from the Scottish Government.
"However all of this could have been avoided if the Tory-LibDem leadership of the council had included the additional money offered in their original budget.
"These councillors should have engaged positively with the Scottish Government earlier, however, they chose to play petty politics instead of listening to their opposition colleagues and the people of Argyll and Bute.
"The Strategic Opposition Group believes that Argyll and Bute deserves far better, and proposes a new, more co-operative and transparent approach; where, instead of riding rough-shod over democracy and community opinion, a clear majority of elected members will work in partnership with each other and the residents and communities they were elected to serve."
The leader of the Opposition SNP, Oban South and the Isles councillor Jim Lynch, said: "It is clear to us that public trust in the current administration is incredibly low.
"Questionable decision-making over vital local issues such as Rothesay Pavilion, Luing Primary School, The Mull Campus, and the ongoing council tax debacle has caused real damage in our communities, which we simply must work hard to repair.
"Too much time has already been wasted and we need to get on with backing the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze and sending the reduced bills out to households.”
Depute leader of the Opposition Independent Mid Argyll councillor Dougie Philand said: “The time has come for accountability, transparency, and a new way forward at Argyll and Bute Council. The public has quite rightly had enough of the status quo.
"For far too long the ruling group of councillors has been able to play political football with the important decisions that impact the daily lives of our constituents, and this must be stopped.
"We hope that by providing every councillor with an opportunity to add their signature alongside ours to call for a change in leadership, we will finally be able to bring an end to the political chaos we have seen in recent years and ensure that nothing like the council tax shambles can happen again.”
Councillor Currie responded: “There are numerous claims which I could very clearly and firmly refute, but I believe my time is better spent focusing on delivering for Argyll and Bute’s communities.
“However, one point for immediate clarification here is that our ability to consider a council tax freeze has depended on the very welcome £2.3million severe weather support that the Scottish Government has now confirmed for Argyll and Bute.
“We secured this funding for Argyll and Bute after months of positive engagement between the council leadership and the Scottish Government.
"This positive engagement started immediately after the severe weather in October last year and has continued over the course of this year.
“The facts are clear. Without the overall improvement in our circumstances that the severe weather funding brings, the funding offered solely in relation to the freeze was not enough on its own to avoid serious threats to vital services and jobs both now and in future years, where we are facing very significant challenges indeed.
“Tackling those challenges is always my priority and focus. It is a fact that council leaders must always bear that longer-term picture in mind and face up to difficult decisions, no matter how tempting it may be to make an easier or less effective/responsible choice for short-term gain and popularity.”
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